How To Get Your First Pull Up
Ah, the elusive pull up. Every CrossFitter’s dream is to get that first pull up.
Here’s my story: I chased that dream for a few years, not really having a plan to get it, but trying the usual suspects of ring rows, jumping pull ups, and banded pull ups. While traveling, I came across a gym that taught me the kipping pull up, and I was hooked! Finally, I was able to get my chin above the bar, and it happened during one of the Open WODs! I was thrilled! My shoulder was not. A few months later, after doing a lot of kipping pull ups (with really bad form, I might add), I competed in an obstacle course race. That night, I could not lift my right arm.
I could have blamed the obstacle course, but being fresh out of PT school, I knew the real culprit: my pride and those kipping pull ups. That was it. That was what I needed to finally start focusing on my strict strength. I learned a great lesson the hard way: strict strength first, only always!
Why I’m strict about strict pull ups:
Aside from injuring myself by not being strong enough to handle an obstacle course on top of kipping pull ups, there is one main reason why you should be doing strict anything before attempting a kipping movement. This blog post is about pull ups, but this goes for other gymnastics movements as well.
Time under tension is essential. If you have not trained your muscles and tendons to handle doing a movement slowly and without momentum for assistance, then those muscles and tendons simply are not prepared to handle dynamic movement. The “crash landing” happens when someone without the proper strict strength (or proper form) descends from the kip to go into the next one because the whole shoulder complex is not prepared for that force at that length.
Stability over mobility. Like a baby will stand before they walk, and walk before they run, you must train your strict strength before adding in dynamic movement, especially in high volume. You’re thinking “But Emily, I can do a kipping pull up!” I know this may not be what you want to hear, and strict pull ups are definitely not as sexy as kipping, but I don’t want to just fix you up when you get hurt and send you back out there. I want to prevent as much injury as possible from happening in the first place.
So, what do I do?
Let’s break down the best exercises to wake up your pulling muscles, reduce the risk of future overuse injury, and strengthen your shoulder to prepare for the dynamic load of kipping pull ups (we all know those are the real dream anyway).
Pull Up Negatives
Negatives, or slow, controlled lowering, are great to work on strengthening any exercise through the full range of motion. There is something about controlling the motion against gravity that your tendons just love, and they respond really well.
A negative pull up is this: your start with your chin over the bar, getting there by a box or jumping (but I recommend a box), then you slowly straighten your arms. Key word: slowly. You will not improve if you do these fast. They are hard and you should not be able to do very many in a row (like 2-3 only).
Some variations include:
double toe-assisted (easiest)
single toe-assisted
unassisted (hardest)
If you cannot control the full range of motion, you need to choose an easier variation for the time being. Make sure, 1) you are able to hold yourself for a split second at least with your chin over the bar and 2) you control at the bottom when your arms are almost straight. Those are the most difficult positions and where people are most likely to get injured.
Double and Single Toe Assisted Negative Pull Up
Unassisted Negative Pull Up
Toe-Assisted Pull Ups
Toe-assisted pull ups are designed so that you are only using as much assistance from your legs as you need, which you can change based on the difficultly at any particular part of the pull up. Most people need more assistance at the start and finish of the pull up. The mid-range is typically the easiest part.
Begin with your feet on a box and hold onto the bar with straight arms. Now get on your tippy toes so you aren’t tempted to use more assistance than necessary. Pull until your chin gets over the bar. If you can’t, you need to give yourself more assistance. Just like the negatives, it’s important to work the entire range of motion.
Variations:
double toe-assisted (easiest)
single toe-assisted (hardest)
Again, choose a variation where you can complete the full range of motion, from hanging to chin over the bar.
Single Toe Assisted Pull Ups
What, no banded pull ups?
No bands. Not for strengthening. Bands give you a lot of assistance at the bottom and almost none at the top. They do not allow for the change in demand throughout the movement, as your toes will. Bands are great to use during a workout, when the goal may be to get through a high volume relatively quickly, but if you are focusing on pure strict strength, they are not your friend.
A few notes:
Hollow Body Position
With either exercise, and whatever variation you choose, always stay in the hollow body position. As the basis for momentum generation in the kipping pull up, it’s important to train that position early and often.
Hand Placement
Hands on the bar should be just outside your shoulders, and as you pull, your elbows should be directed sideways, not forward. If your elbows are pointing forward your hands are most likely too close.
I feel like this should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: palms should be facing away from you. Palms facing away recruits use of the lats for the pull up, while palms facing towards you recruits the biceps (that’s why chin ups are easier, for women at least).
Now go get after those pull ups!
Use these exercises during the strength portion of your workout, or as accessory work. You will need to dedicate specific time to strengthening your pull up if you ever want to improve. Just practicing with the band for years and years will not help you in the long run, so save those for high volume pull ups in workouts! Get those shoulders strong and healthy! Leave me a comment with how you have approached pull ups and what you might do differently now!
